Apparatus for applying sewage to bacteria-beds.



Patented Dec. 4, -|900.

No. s3,|5|.

F. A. BARsoun.

APPARATUS F03 APPLYING SEWAGE T0 BACTERIA BEDS.

(Application led May 19. 1900.1 l

6 Sheets-Shut (Nn Model.)

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No. 6s3,|5|. Patented non. 4, |900.

V Ar. A. AnBoun.

APPHATUS FUR APPLYING SEWAGE T0 BACTERIA BEDS.

' (Application led May 19. 1900.)

(nu maal.) s sheets-sheet 2.

No. 663,|5|. Patented Dec. 4,1900. f

F. A. AouR.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SEWAGE T0 BACTERIA BEDS.

. v (Application led May 19` 1900J 1 (No Model.) ssheefs-sheet 3.

ooqloo@ oOoOooo No. s63,|5u. Patented Dec. 4, |900.

F, A. BARBoun.

APPARATUS FUR APPLYING SEWAGE T0 BACTEBIA BEDS.

(Application led May 18. 1900.1

6 Sheets--Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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No. 663,|5|. Patented nec. 4, |900. F. A. AnBuun.

APPARATUSFOR APPLYING SEWAGE T` BACTEHIA BEDS.

(Applicatigmed may 1a, 1900. (N0 Modal.) l 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

TN: NoRms Pe'rzns cuA PNo'mLnMo. WASHINGTON. o, c.

No. 663,15I'. Y Patented nec. 4, |900.

F. A. BAnBou.

APPARATUS FUR A'PPLYING SEWAGEITU BAfTEI'xIA BEDS.

(Application med my l. 196e.) ,uw Model.) 'I s sheets-sheet s.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. BARBOUR, OF BRO'OKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO FRANK 1I. SNOW, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SEWAGE TO BACTERIA-BEDS.

SPECIFICATIQNforming part of Letters Patent No. 663,151, dated December 4, 1900.

Application led May 19,1900.

To rtl?, whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. BARBOUR,` of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Applying Sewage to Bacteria Beds, of which the following is a specification.

It is a well-known fact that the purification of sewage or other impure liquids in beds of porous material depends upon the action of micro-organisms known as bacteria It has, moreover, become apparent that to the existence of the so-called nitrifying or aerobiotic bacteria oxygen is necessary, and that consequently the application of the sewage to the bed material must be intermittent. The earlier beds were composed of material relatively fine in grain, to which the sewage or other impure liquid was intermittently applied on the surface and permitted to seep down through the beds to underdrains at all times open, the friction of the material, because of the finenes's of its grain, being sufficient to prevent the too-rapid passage of the sewage and to hold it in thin films stretched be tween the grains for a time sufficiently long for its purification to be effected by the bac teria in the presence of oxygen. In short,- in operating straight-acting filters the sewage is applied in intermittent doses and permitted to freely find its way to the drains. With this method of operation a certain maximum rate of purification was soon found, beyond which it was impossible to go, because of the fact that the oxygen did not enter the material in a sufficient quantity and to a sufficient depth, and the action of purification was accordingly confined to the upper few inches. The remedy for this restriction of the action of puriication to the upper few inches was naturally the use of coarser bed material, and this has led to the so-called back-flooded or contact beds, which are operated by placing gates on the underdrains `to prevent the toorapid passage of the sewage, which otherwise would fail of purification. In the treatment of sewage or other impure liquid by this meihod of back-ooding or holding the liquid in contact with the bed material for a certain length of time experience has proved that the action naturally divides itself into four por- Serial No. 17,193. (No model.)

tionsnamely,a period in which the bed is filling, a period in which the bed is standing full,

a period in which it is emptying, and a period in which it remains empty. This has naturally led to the division of the disposal area into a series of four parts, one of which is filling, one standing full, one emptying, and one remaining empty. Furthermore, experience has proved the necessity of a longer 6o period of rest for each of the several portions at intervals and has made advisable the provision of a fifth part, which can be thrown into or out of commission.

The object of my invention is to automatically elfect the distribution of the different actions necessary to the purification of sewage or other impure liquid in back-flooding beds so that one bed can be easily thrown into or out of the cycle of the beds in action, 7o thus permitting of a period of rest for each of the beds in turn.

The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings embodies some of the features shown in Patent No. 645,160, dated March 13, 1900. In general it mainly comprises two cylinders or cham bers through which the liquid passes, two revolving gates, one of which governs the action of the impure liquid and lthe other the action of the purified liquid or efiiuent, 8o controled by gearing and actuated by the movement of a float, due to the entrance of the eliuent to the doatchamber, this Inovement being controlled by suitable gearing, and five or more beds, any four of which can be put int-o commission at one time and the' remaining bed or beds left out of commission.

The several parts of the apparatus will now be described and referred to by the numbers designating them on the annexed drawings, 9o and the'invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims at the close of this specification.

Figure 1 is a general plan or diagram of a disposal area divided into five portions symmeti-ically grouped about the distributing apparatus. It illustrates generally the-connection of the distribution system for the impure liquid and the collecting system of underdrains for the effluent. It shows the cylin- 10o drical gate 6, through which the sewage or other impure liquid is flowed onto the surface of the proper bed after entering the cylinder through pipe 8, and the cylindrical gate 7 at the lower level of the underdrains, through which the purified liquid is in turn permitted to escape from the bed and pass to the stream or other place of linal deposition through Vthe pipe 9. Fig. 2 is a section through the center line of the beds on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing a section through the carrier for the distribution of the impure liquid, the bedmaterial, main underdrain, and embankment 61. It illustrates the manner in which the impure liquid enters the upper cylinder 6 through pipe 3 and also the way the effluent escapes through the lower cylinder 7 and pipe 9. Fig. 3 is a plan of the automatic apparatus and inclosing chamber. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. v Fig. 5 is asection on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 isahorizontal section through the gate 6 on line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the gate 7 on line 7 7 of Fig. 4.V Fig. 3 is asectional plan on line 8 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a detail plan of one of the mutilated or intermediate gears 38 and showing the locking-lever and slots. Fig. 10 is a section through gear 33 and rod 13, showing the lever in full lines. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail of the auxiliary fioat and pinchrolls with the front standard removed to show the rolls more clearly.

The wall of the inclosing chamber is designated by 10. The upper cylinder or chamber 6 has five openings spaced one-fifth of its circumference apart, with which the pipes la, 2a, 3a, 4a, and 5, leading to beds numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are connected and through which the sewage or other impure liquid flows to these beds.

11 is a revolving cylindrical gate with one opening 51, which registers in rotation with the openings in the cylinder 6, just described.

7 is a cylinder or chamber with five openings spaced one-fifth of the circumference or revolution apart, to which the underdrainpipes 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, and 5b, carrying the purifled liquid or eiiuent from beds 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are connected.

12 is a revolving cylindrical gate,with preferably two openings 52 53 in its circumference, which are spaced one-fifth of its circumference apart and which successively register with the openings of the cylinder 7, thus permitting the effluent to enter the interior of gate 12 and thence escape through pipe 9 to the stream or other point of iinal deposition. Both openings 52 and 53 are simultaneously in registration with two underdrains, opening 52 registering with the emptying-bed and opening 53 registering with the lbed which is supposed to have been last emptied for the purpose of draining off any liquid that may have been left and also make possible the entrance of air through the nnderdrains to the underlying layers of the bed which is empty. The second opening 53 is not, however, essential. vThe portion of the chambers 6 and 7 above the gates 11 and 12 need not be cylindrical. They merely serve as boxes for the rods 13 and 14.

13 is a vertical rod connecting the revolving gate 11 with the actuating mechanism.

14 is a vertical rod connecting the revolving gate l2 with the actuating mechanism.

15 and 15 are spur-gears to which rods 13 and 14 are connected by suitable frictionclutches 54-such, for instance, as that fully illustrated and described in Patent No. 645,160, recently granted tome. The object of the friction-clutches is to enable the rods to be rotated forward more rapidly than the gears 15 l5 at certain periods of action, as will be hereinafter explained. These spur-gears are supported upon bearing-plate 16, with suitable pillow-blocks or other device. The spur-gears 15 and 15 are connected byan intermediate spur-gear 17, rigidly connected to vertical shaft 18, which is supported upon bearing-plate 16 by sui-table pillow-blocks. To this same shaft 18 a miter-geared wheel 19 is rigidly attached below the intermediate gear-wheel 17. Into this miter-geared wheel 19 another miter-geared wheel 20, rigidly attached to a horizontal shaft 2l, meshes. The shaft 21 is supported in a yoke in the bearing-plate 16 and on two supports with pillowblocks 22.

23 is a geared pinion attached to the horizontal shaft 2l by a friction-clutch 55, such as already referred to. This pinion 23 meshes with a rack 24, which forms a part of the vertical rod 25, attached to ioat 26. The object of the clutch connectionv between the pinion 23 and shaft 21 is to make possible the revolution'of this shaft hy the rise of the iioat and thereturn of the float to place without a reverse revolution of the shaft.

The fioat 26 is placed in a float-chamber 27, built vof metal or masonry. This chamber is connected with the underdrain system of the beds by the pipe 23, which leads from the chamber to a horizontal pipe 29, which forms a complete circle or ring, preferably concentric With that of the cylinder 6. Atintervals of its circumference this ring-pipe is entered by pipes leading from the live beds. Thus the pipe 1c connects the underdrain in bed 1 with this ring-pipe, and pipe 2C connects tho underdrain 2b in bed 2 with this ring-pipe, dac. Each of these connecting-pipes 1e 2c, ctc., leading from beds 1 2, dto., has in its course a simple .straight-way plug-valve, a onefourth revolution of the plug opening and another one-fourth revolution closing the valve. Thus the valve 1d is in line from bed 1 to ring-pipe 29, and 2d is in line from bed 2 to ring-pipe 29, &c. The centers of the plugs of these valves are placed at equal intervals apart in the circumference of a circle which is concentric with the cylinder 6. Connected with the plugs of these valves vertical rods le, 2e, 3e, 40, and 5e extend to the horizontal plane of a horizontal pinion 30, rigidly connected to the vertical rod or shaft 13. To the tops of these rods 1e 2, the., small cross- IOO that any attempt to rotate the cross-heads at any other timev than when a clearance is-afforded by the indentations will cause the arms of the cross-heads and the wheel to interfere, and thus prevent opening of valves 1d, 2d, 3, 4d, and 5d. In short, the cross-heads and indented pinion 30 form an interlocking gear.

The object of the ring-pipe 29, the pipes 1C, 2, 3c, 4f, and 5e, the valves 1d, 2d, 3d, 4d, and 5d, the vertical rods 1C, 2E, 3e, 11e, and 5e,

the cross-heads 1f, 2f, 3f, 4f, and 5f, and the intermediate gearing 30 is to make possible the working of the apparatus with one float-chamber instead of a ioat-chamber for each bed and to provide an open connection between the underdrain of one bed and the float-chamber and to close all others. This will be more fully explained in describing the operation of the apparatus.

As is easily apparent, the working of the apparatus involves first the rise of the float, the revolution of the horizontal shaft 21, and of the spur-gears and gates 11 and l2, so that the delivery of the sewage is shifted from one bed to the next, and also the free outlet for the eifluent is shifted from one bed to the next. The rise of the iioat is effected by the back-iiooding of the effluent from the bed which is being iiooded into t-he float-chamber through the underdrains and connectingpipes already described. 1n operation there will be a predetermined height to which it is desirable to till the bed before the shift of the gates, and therefore it is necessary to keep the iioat from rising until this height shall have been reached. Otherwise a slow revolution would take place synchronously with the filling of the float-chamber and the cylindrical gates would be half open and half shut for a time suiciently long to seriously detract from the value of the apparatus. ln order to prevent the rise of the iioat before the liquid has reached the desired height in the bed and atthe same time to make possible a variation of this height, the following mechanism has been devised: A bearingplate 31 extends across the top of the floatchamber and carries two standards 32, which form the supports of two small wheels 33, eccentrically hung on small shafts 58, carried by these standards. Attached to these eccentric wheels or pinch-rolls are short arms 34, pivoted to the vertical rods 35, which extend down in to the oat-chamber. rIhese vertical rods pass through guides 59, attached to an auxiliary float 36 in such a manner that this oat can be rigidly connected with them at different heights by set-screws 71 or other- Wise. The vertical rod 25 of the main float 26 passes through the center of the auxiliary float 36, forming a guide for its movement. When the float-chamber iills to a certain depth, the main float 26 tends to rise; but the feccentric pinch-rolls actuated by friction prevent its movement until the water shall have reached the predetermined height, where it will raise the auxiliary float and, through the connecting system of rods and arms, revolve the pinch-rolls in a direction contrary to that due to the friction of the main rod 25, and so release the main float. Instead of having two pinch-rolls, one on each side, the work may be accomplished by having a pinch=roll on only one side, while on the other side in place of the pinch-roll there is a rigid bearing. Also instead of having a single auxiliary oat 36 two auxiliary floats may be employed, an independent one connected with each rod 35. It is also obvious that the form and construction of the iioat may be varied in other ways, the essential feature of this part of my in vention being the employment of an auxiliary float with a detent which restrains the main tloat from movement until the auxiliary float releases the detent and means by which the auxiliary float can be adjusted so as to restrain the main tloat until the liquid in the loateham ber rises to a predetermined height. In order to permit the return of the fioat to place, 1t is necessary to drain the doar-chamber, and a valve which is released by the rise of the float and which movesin the cage 37 effects the desired emptying of the lioatchamber through a small pipe (not shown in the drawings) leading from the bottom of 4the chamber.l

In addition to the spur-gears 15 the verti cal rods 13 and 14 carry two intermittent mutilated spur-gears 38 and 38, locked thereto. These gears mesh with an intermediate gear 39, rigidly attached to the vertical shaft 18. 'ihe toothed portion of this intermittent gearing is so planned that each of the gears 38 will `mesh with gear 39 at every fourth movement ot' the apparatus, but not synchronously. They alternate with"`each other in engaging with the intermediate gear and have an interval of one full movement of the apparatus between such engagements, during which neither of the gears 38 engages with gear 39, so that at each second movement of the apparatus one or the other of the intermittent gears 38 will mesh with the intermediate gear 39.

The rotation of the rods 13 14 is usually effected by the gear 17, which is fast on shaft 18 and meshes with gears 15,` which are clutched to the rods 13 14. Gears 38 38,which are locked to rods 13 14, will also rotate in unison with gears 15 as long as the toothed portions of gears 38 are out of mesh with intermediate gear 39. As soon as either gear IOO IIO

38 does mesh with gear 39 gear 39, being larger than gear 1'7, will increase the speed of that one of the gears 38 which is in mesh. As gears 15 are not locked to rods 13 14, but are held by friction-clutches which allow forward rotation of the rods within the gears, the gear 15 will continue to revolve at the same speed as before; but the rod on which it is mounted will revolve faster than the gear, although both revolve in the same direction. The relative sizes of the gears is such that the increased speed of rods 13 and 14 will be just double what it was when actuated by gear 15, thus causing the gate 11 or 12, which it actuates, to rotate through double the distance that it usually does during a single movement of the apparatus-'that is, make two-fifths of a revolution instead of one-fifth.

-The adjustment is such that this increased speed will be made to take place at the period when it is desired to turn the gate past the idle bed.

As it is desirable to have each one of the' beds in turn put out of commission, so as to give them all a period of rest, the rods 13 14 are adjustably connected to gears 38 38, so that the rods and connected gates 11 12 can be rotated to bring them into different positions relatively to the toothed portions of the gears, and thereby cause the increased speed movement to occur at such time as to make any one of the beds desired the idle bed. This adjustability is accomplished by having the gears 38 38 loose on rods 13 14 and providing means for locking the gears to the rods when adjusted. The means which I have provided are as follows: Levers 43 44 are pivoted to rods 13 14, respectively. The centers of the intermittent gears 38 38 are each provided with five slots 1g, 2g, 3g, 4g, and 5gand 1h, 2, 3, 4h, and 5h, respectively, placed radially one-fifth of a revolution apart and into which the levers 43 44 drop and lock the intermittent gears .38 to the rods 13 and 14. By 4lifting either lever the corresponding rod and gate can be rotated to the desired position and then the lever dropped back into whichever slot is beneath it, thereby locking the gear 38 and rod in the new position. This is -the only connection between the rods 13 and 14`and the spur-gears 38.

For convenience of enabling the operator to know which of the beds is out of commission and also which of them is being filled at any particular time the levers 43 44 are so placed that the lever 43 over the valve l1 always stands over the opening 51 and the lever 44 over valve 12 stands over the main opening 52, thereby indicating that the corresponding beds are filling and emptying, respectively, and that the bed next on the left of the one that is lling at the time when the intermittent gear 38 on rod 13 is just coming into mesh With gear 39 is out of commission. For instance, in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the lever 43 over gate 11 points to bed 4, which is evidence that bed 4 is filling and bed 5 is out of commission.

esenti The lever 44 over gate 12 points to bed 2 and indicates that bed 2 is emptying. When the lever 43 is shifted so as to turn the revolving gate 11 preparatory to shifting the idle bed, it is necessary that there should be a syn- .chronous adjustment of the valves in the pipes leading to the float-chamber from the beds affected by the change in order that there may be at all times a free passage to the float-chamber from the bed which is filling and that the passages to the float-chamber from the other beds be kept closed. For this reason wheel 30 is fast to rod 13, so as to move when red 13 is moved by lever 43. For instance, when lever 43 is shifted from bed 4 to bed 5 it is necessary that valve 5d be opened and that valve 4d be closed without moving any of the other valves d, which are already closed. By having wheel'30 fast on rod 13 it will turn with rod 13 and the arms 57 will engage with the arms of the cross-heads 5f and 4f, and thereby open valve 5d and close valve 4d. The spur-gears 15 are not moved by the le vers,as the friction-clutch connection makes possible the movement of the rods 13 and 14 without aifecting these gears.

In order that the gates 11 and 12 shall be revolved just one-fifth of a turn and the openings in the revolving gates register correctly with the openings in the outer cylinders 6 and 7, it is necessary that the movement of the Heat shall be limited to acertain length. This is effected by a stop 41, which prevents its rise past the proper height.

I will now proceed to describe the action of the apparatus.

In the illustration bed 4 is lling-that is, the sewage or other impure liquid is running into this bed through pipe 4-bed 3 is standing full, bed 2 is emptyingthat is, the effluent is escaping from bed 2 through pipe 2b into cylinder 7 and then through pipe 9 to the place of final deposition-bed 1 is empty, and bed 5 is also empty, being out of commission. The gates 11 12 revolve in the reverse direction from the hands of a watch, and, as shown in the drawings, theneXt movement will throw the revolving gate 11 past bed 5 to bed 1, at the same time shifting the main opening 52 in revolving gate 12 from bed 2 to bed 3, which is now standing full. The movement of the apparatus is actuated by the rise of the effluent in the float-chamber, the liquid entering this chamber by backflooding from bed 4 through pipes 4b, 4C, 29, and 28, the valve 4d being open and the valves 1d, 2d, 3d, and 5d being closed. When the effluent rises in the float-chamber, so as to reach float 36, this float will be raised, revolving the pinch-rolls 33, releasing the float 26, which will rise as permitted by the stop 41 the necessary distance to effect the proper movement of the revolving gates. As shown in the drawings, the revolution of the shaft 21 will revolve the upper spur-gears 39, which will mesh with the intermittent gear 38 over revolving gate 11, and thus turn gate 11 two- IIO fifths of a revolution, or past bed 5. The lower interlocking pinion 30 will revolve at the same time and by its indentation and projecting arms will in the first part of its two-fifths revolution open valve 5d and close valve 4d and in the second part close valve 5d and open valve l, the movement ending by all the valves 2, 3d, 4d, and 5d being closed and 1d open, which will permit the entrance of the effluent from bed 1 to the float-chamber for the next movement of the apparatus. While gate 11 in cylinder 6 is revolving, as above described, gate l2 in cylinder 7 is also revolving, and the main opening 52 therein will be brought to register with underdrain 3b, and supplementary opening 53 will register with underdrain 2b at the same time that gate 11 makes open connection between chamber 6 and bed 1 through pipe 1a. As already stated, the stop 41 on rod 25 of the fioat 37 prevents the rise of the float above a certain point, and thus causes rotation of the gates 1l and 12 to cease when the gates have turned far enough to open communication with pipes 1n and3b and to open valve 1d and close valves 41 and 5d. Now the sewage will flow through pipe 8, cylinder 6, and pipe 1fb onto bed 1, and while bed 1 is thus being filled the purified liquid will be passing from the bed 3 through the underdrain-pipe 3b into cylinder 7 and thence out through pipe 9 to the place of deposit. Bed 2 stands empty and bed 4 is standing full. If there is any liquid remaining in bed 2 which did not escape through opening 52 during the regular time for emptying, it will now drain off through supplementary opening 53 and underdrain 2b. In the manner already described gate 11 will be turned by movements of one-fifth of a revolution, turning the sewage into the several portions of the field until it returns to the position shown in the drawings. During these movements gate 12 will synchronously return to the position shown in the drawings by movements of one-fifth ofa revolution, except when the idle bed is to be passed, when a movement of two-fifths of a revolution will be effected, because of the meshing at this point of the intermittent gear above gate 12 with intermittent gear 39.

If it is desired to bring bed 5 back into commission, the change should be made just after bed 3 has filled and bed 1 has emptied and just when bed 4 begins to fill. The change will be made by lifting lever 43, belonging to rod 13, from bed 4 and turning it forward to bed 5, so that opening 51 in gate 11 will register with pipe 5", leading to bed 5, instead of with pipes 4a, leading to bed 4, and bed 5 will be filled instead of bed 4. It is to be noted that Athe shifting of the lever does not alter the position of the gear 38, and on completion of the filling of bed 5 the action of the apparatus due to gear 38 being in mesh with gear 39 will give a two-fifth turn, carrying the opening 51 in gate 11 past bed 1 instead of past bed 5, as heretofore, and causing it to register with bed 2, putting bed 1 out of commission.

The shift of lever 44, which belongs to rod 14 and operates gate 12, must be made two l actions of the apparatus later than the shift of the lever operating gate ll-that is, if bed 5 has been out of commission, as above as; sumed, and lever 43 on rod 13 was shifted when it was pointing to bed 4 before bed 4 had a chance to fill and when lever 44 on rod 14 was pointing to bed 2, the shift of the lever 44 must be ma'de when it points to bed 4, just before bed 2 lls.

I have described the apparatus shown in the drawings with minnteness for the purpose of a clear understanding of' the same; but I regard the apparatus so shown and described as capable of great modification and still embody my invention and do not intend to limit myself to the precise form shown.

/Vhile I have described the apparatus as arranged` for one idle bed, it is obvious that, if desired, the number of idle beds maybe increased by increasing the total number of beds and by varyin g the gearing accordingly. It is also `obvious that if it is not desiredv to have at each cycle a period of rest forthe bed after being emptied before it fills again the apparatus can easily be modified, so as to work with three beds. Such modifications I consider as coming within the scope of my locking gear 30.

The necessity for the intermittent gearing is due to the provision of an idle bed. If the idle bed is done away with, the intermittent gearing may be dispensed with, and the apparatus so modified will embody my invention.

It is also obvious that where the system does include an idle bed the gearing and method of securing the intermittent action and the accelerated speed to pass theidle bed may be varied and that well-known equivalents forA gearing may be employed; also, that the means of locking the rods 13 and 14 to the gears 38 may be easily Varied. All such modifications I consider as coming within the scope of my invention.

What I claim is- 1. In an apparatus for disposing of sewage or other impure liquid, a plurality of purification-beds, a float or floats actuated by the back-fiooding of the liquid, mechanism actuated by said oat or floats to control the flow of liquid to said beds, and mechanism actu- IIC lgs

tion-beds, pipes which conduct the impure` liquid to the several beds and drains leading from the several beds, one gate which controls the flow of the liquid to the beds and a second gate which controls the dow from the beds, a float actuated by the back-flooding of Athe liquid, and mechanism connected with both of said gates Wherebythe same float will actuate both gates, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a iioatchamber, a main iioat, a detent which temporarily restrains the said fioat from rising with the liquid, an auxiliary float, means by which the auxiliary iioat can be adjusted so as to rise when the liquid in the float-chamber has reached a predetermined height, and means by which the movement of the auxiliary iioat will release the detent from the main float, substantially as described.

4. In combination With a float-chamber, a main float, a float-rod, an eccentrically-pivoted roll Which normally binds theflioat-rod and vprevents the Hoat from rising, an auxiliary vlioat, a guide to which said auxiliary float is adj ustably secured and which may be adjusted so as to fioat only when the liquid rises to a predetermined height and pivotal connection between said guide and said detent whereby When the auxiliary float rises it Will cause the release of the detent and permit the main float to rise, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for disposing of sewage or other impure liquid, a plu rality of purification-beds, a chamber into which the impure liquid is conducted, conduits leading therefrom to t-he several beds, an intermittentlyrevolving gate in said chamber With an outlet-opening which registers successively with said conduits, underdrains leading from said beds, a chamber to which said underdrains lead and having an outlet therefrom, an intermittently-revolving gate in said chamber with an opening which registers successively With said underdrains,a iioat-chamber,a backflooding conduit from each of said underdrains to said float-chamber, valves to said back-flooding conduits, mechanism by which the valve in the back-flooding conduit connected with the bed about to be filled is opened and all the other back-flooding valves lare closed, a float in the float-chamber, means by Which the said float is kept on its seat until the liquid in the bed being filled has risen to a predetermined height and then is lifted, mechanism actuated by the rising of the float to revolve said gates so as to close the flow to the bed'which has been filled and open passage to another bed, and open the underdrain connection from one of the filled beds to the outlet-conduits, substantially as described.

G. In an apparatus for disposing of sewage or other impure liquid, a plurality of purification-beds, two intermittently-revolving gates one of which controls the flow'of the impure liquid to the bedsand the other of which controls the outlet from said beds, a float-chamber with valve connections leading to said beds, a float in said float-chamber operated by the baclriiood from the beds, and mechanism actuated by said float whereby when the oat rises the said gates will be rotated and shift the delivery of the impure liquid from one bed to another and shift the outletflow from one bed to another, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for disposing of sewage or other impure liquid, a-plurality of purification-beds, a revolvinggate which controls the flow to said beds, mechanism by which a part of the beds may be kept in commission at a time and a part left out of commission, a shaft on -Which said gate is fixed, intermittently-actuating mechanism, means for locking said gate-shaft to said actuating mechanism so that the gate Will be intermittently rotated and Which when unlocked permit the shaft and gate to be revolved independently of the .said actuating mechanism, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for disposing of impure liquid, a plurality of purification-beds, a rotary gate, a shaft on which said gate is fixed, a driven Wheel secured to said shaft by a friction-clutch, a mutilated gear-Wheel locked to said shaft, a driving-shaft, a wheel fixed thereon which normally drives the said clutch-secured Wheel, a second Wheel secured to said driving-shaft which engages With the teeth on said mutilated gear-Wheel at certain parts of its rotation, the relative sizes of said Wheels being such that When the mutilated gear is in engagement the speed of the gate-shaft will be accelerated, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a rotary gate, a shaft on which the gate is mounted, a mutilated gear-Wheel on said shaft, a central hub on said gear Wheel having a series of radial slots therein, said shaft being rotatably adjustable in said hub, and a lever pivoted on said shaft b v Which the shaft and gate may be rotated and which engages with any one of said slots to lock the shaft in its adjusted position relative to the gear, substantially as described.

10. In combination With a rotary gate, a shaft on lwhich the gate is mounted, a mutilated gear-Wheel on said shaft, said shaft being rotatably adjustable in central bearings in said gear-Wheel, and means by which said shaft may be locked in its adj usted positions so as to rotate with said Wheelsubstantially as described.

1l. In combination With a plurality of beds for purification of impure liquid, a plurality of back-flood pipes leading therefrom and each provided with a valve, one of which is open and the others closed, a ring-pipe with which each of said back-ooding pipes con- IOO TIO

nects, a float-chamber and a doat therein, a pipe connecting said ring-pipe with said floatchamber, and mechanism actuated by the rising of the float whereby said open valve will be closed and one or" the closed valves will be opened, substantially as described.

l2. In combination with a plurality of beds for liquid deposit, a plurality of back-flood pipes leading therefrom each provided With a rotary valve one of which is opened and the others closed, a ring-pipe With which each of said back-flood pipes connects, a float-chamber and a Hoat therein, a pipe connecting said ring-pipe with said float-chamber, a rod connected with each of said valves, cross-heads on said rods, an intermittently-rotative interlocking device or Wheel which engages with said cross-heads and at each movement closes FRANK A. BARBOUR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT WALLACE, WILLIAM A. CoPELAND. 

